Large home hosts children’s fundraisers

The home’s great room, which lies beyond the statement-making stairwell in the foyer

Photograph by: Ed Kaiser
, Edmonton Journal

From the time he was 15, Emile Najjar didn’t have much of a home. So it’s no surprise that when he and his wife, Grace, decided to build in the McGrath district of southwest Edmonton, homey was the note they were hoping to strike.

Through a complex set of circumstances, the teenaged Emile — now the president and CEO of Carco, an online dealership and auto finance company — ended up staying behind in Canada when his parents moved back to Lebanon. On his own, he grew up quickly, surviving through a combination of packaged noodle soup, hard work and paying close attention to the people and circumstances around him.

While working at a payday loan company as a young man, he began to form a blueprint for his own future. Now, at the age of 38, Emile has built an extremely successful company, one that affords him opportunities to help others, particularly children, who may need a hand.

Emile and Grace love to entertain in their home, hosting fundraisers for some of their favourite charities, including the Stollery Children’s Hospital and Kids with Cancer. Emile is also the driving force behind Racing for a Cure, which treats kids with cancer to a day at the Castro racetrack, surrounded by exotic cars, such as his own Lamborghini and Ferrari.

Last summer’s Racing for a Cure event raised nearly $350,000 for the Stollery and Kids with Cancer.

“We wanted to focus on the kids,” says Emile, who exudes a quiet and humble manner. “With us not having kids, it’s our way of giving back. We’ve been very blessed living the life we do and any way to give back, that’s what you should do.”

The 7,200-square-foot house, which features 16 big-screen televisions, was at the framing stage when Grace and Emile purchased it. They were sold on it, in part, by the elaborate wrought iron door that was imported from Lebanon by the home’s builder, Prestige Eco Homes. The couple has enjoyed creating the cosy interior around what might be called a modern Middle Eastern theme.

Emile says they were aiming to create a feeling of “mass” in the bulk of the house.

“It’s a traditional look,” he says. “We wanted to walk in and have big furniture, big show.”

Characterized by lots of dark-toned, custom woodwork, the house is rich with opulent fabrics. Tufted ottomans placed atop Persian rugs invite guests to recline, while warm red drapes in the living room and kitchen area set a cozy, relaxing tone. Made locally by Design by Dreger, the window treatments run from the 20-foot ceiling to the floor. The home is decorated in cream and espresso throughout, with hand-scraped bamboo floors in the living rooms on the main level (both of them) and creamy travertine in the kitchen and dining room. The bedrooms (four up, one down) have wall-to-wall carpets, thick and comfortable underfoot in a caramel shade.

“We didn’t go aggressive, and we wanted an inviting tone, with no harsh colours,” says Emile. “It was all about flow, room-to-room.”

The kitchen has a similarly opulent feel, with a custom-made, gold-leaf backsplash designed by Panache Ceramics, and a gigantic black granite island, perfect for a hospitable spread of appetizers when the couple is entertaining. Separating the front hall area from the dining room is another Panache creation — an artful, sculpted glass insert with a gold leaf pattern of the tree of life.

The Najjars often have upwards of 100 people in the home for catered events. Guests throng around the downstairs bar and the wine cellar area, which features a rustic pattern of small-scale travertine tiles on the wall and a nearby thermidor (Emile is a cigar aficionado). Also in the basement is a home gym, a “playroom” with a pool table and a theatre room for the youngsters in their lives (Emile refers to himself and Grace as the Sleepover Uncle and Aunt). Their godchildren love the theatre room, with its nine leather reclining seats in three tiered rows, 3-D projector and popcorn machine.

Most of the furnishings in the Najjar home were purchased locally at Finesse and Chintz and Company. Oh, except for the furniture in the basement bedroom, which is blond wood with sleek lines, restrained and completely different from the decorating style in the rest of the house.

The bedroom suite, explains Emile, was the first set of furniture that he and Grace owned, purchased from The Brick under a six-month layaway plan.

It remains a reminder of their roots.

Liane can be reached at lfaulder@edmontonjournal.com for comments or suggestions for future features on unique or beautiful homes in the Edmonton region.

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CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated thesquare footage of the home. The story has been changed to reflect that it is7,200 square feet.

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